Disturbing News Stories

Has the whole world gone mad? There have been some news stories lately that make you stop and say "Huh?"

From the Chicago Tribune:

The Treasury secretary, who oversees the IRS, didn't pay all his taxes. Neither did five other top nominees for the Obama administration, or their spouses.

Now, as Wednesday's tax deadline looms, some Americans are wondering why they should comply with the arcane requirements of the Internal Revenue Service when top administration officials failed to do the same. Even some IRS employees are upset at what they see as a double standard.

The most criticized example has been Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who admitted not paying $34,000 in payroll and Social Security taxes, saying his failure to pay was an oversight. Five other nominees disclosed similar tax issues, including one as recently as two weeks ago when Kathleen Sebelius, President Barack Obama's pick for secretary of health and human services, admitted she didn't pay $7,040.

"Our members are upset and angry," said Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, referring to concern bubbling up within the IRS over unusually strict rules that can cost agents their jobs if they make a mistake.

In some cases, IRS employees have lost jobs for simply filing a late return or failing to report a few hundred dollars of interest income.

Personal comments: Due to reasons I still don't really understand, Sam and I are paying-in taxes this year, not getting a refund. I would never think to not pay them, even though it is not going to be easy to pay them (financially or morally). How does anyone think "Oh, I don't feel like doing that. So I'm not going to."? Especially if they work in government? Idiots.

An email from Education Minnesota's President that came to my school inbox this week: (Look away, Dad, you face might melt if you see this!)

There is some really bad legislation at the Capitol right now. It drastically changes the way a teacher can become licensed. Here are the quick details of the bill.

1. It allows anyone with a 3.00 GPA and a bachelor’s degree to enter a program after taking a couple of tests.

2. The program is only 5 weeks.

3. There is no student teaching.

4. When the participant is hired, he/she will be assigned a mentor. The mentor will not be given training or standards.

5. If the mentor recommends to the MN Board of Teaching that the participant be granted a license, the Board of Teaching MUST grant the license.

Um, what? I haven't read anything about this in the mainstream media, but I don't like it. I worked my butt off at Bethel to get my teaching license, and I still didn't feel prepared for my job. Only now, 3 years into it, do I feel like I know what I'm doing. And a person trained in the above manner is not going to get a lot of support from me as a parent. No way would I want someone like that teaching Annie's kindergarten class. It just furthers the idea that anyone thinks they can teach (the existence of this idea, however, points to larger problems with the image teachers have in the public.)

Some things to think about on Tax Day 2009. And good luck to Ginger, who is attending a Tea Party at the state capitol today. You'll become a full-blown Republican yet!